Coward Of The County
Ev'ryone considered him the coward
- Ev'ryone considered him the coward
- Of the county
- He'd never stood one single time
- To prove the county wrong
- His mama named him Tommy
- The folks just called him yellow
- But something always told me
- They were reading Tommy wrong
- He was only ten years old
- When his daddy died in prison
- I looked after Tommy
- 'Cause he was my brother's son
- I still recall the final words
- My brother said to Tommy:
- "Son my life is over
- But yours is just begun
- Promise me son
- Not to do the things I've done
- Walk away from trouble if you can
- Now it won't mean you're weak
- If you turn the other cheek
- I hope you're old enough to understand:
- Son you don't have to fight to be a man "
- There's someone for ev'ryone
- And Tommy's love was Becky
- In her arms he didn't
- Have to prove he was a man
- One day while he was workin'
- The Gatlin boys came callin'
- They took turns at Becky
- N' there was three of them
- Tommy opened up the door
- And saw his Becky cryin'
- The torn dress the shattered
- Look was more than he could stand
- He reached above the fireplace
- And took down his daddy's picture
- As his tears fell on his daddy's face
- He heard these words again:
- "Promise me son
- Not to do the things I've done
- Walk away from trouble if you can
- Now it won't mean you're weak
- If you turn the other cheek
- I hope you're
- Old enough to understand:
- Son you don't
- Have to fight to be a man "
- The Gatlin boys just laughed at him
- When he walked into the barroom
- One of them got up
- And met him halfway 'cross the floor
- When Tommy turned around they said
- "Hey look ol' yellow's leavin' "
- But you coulda heard a pin drop
- When Tommy stopped and locked
- The door
- Twenty years of crawlin'
- Was bottled up inside him
- He wasn't holdin' nothin' back;
- He let 'em have it all
- When Tommy left the barroom
- Not a Gatlin boy was standin'
- He said "This one's for Becky "
- As he watched the last one fall
- And I heard him say
- "I promised you Dad
- Not to do the things you done
- I've walked away from trouble when I can
- Now please don't think I'm weak
- I didn't turn the other cheek
- And Papa
- I sure hope you understand:
- Sometimes you gotta
- Fight when you're a man "
- Ev'ryone considered him
- The coward of the county
Comments 1
Nice one 😉👍